Acetylene-gas generator.



No. 637,165. Patented Nov. l4, I899.

A. V. SANFORD. ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Application filed Feb. 16, 1899.)

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Shee I.

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No. 637,165. Patented Nov. l4, I899. A. V. SANFORD.

ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Application filed Feb. 16, 1899.) (No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet 2.

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(No Model.)

A. V. SANFORD.

-ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Application filed Feb. 16, 1899.)

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No. 637,|65. Patented Nov. I4, I899.

- A. V. SANFORD.

ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Application filed Feb. 16, 1899.)

(No Model.) 4 Sheets8heet 4,

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADDISON V. SANFORD, OF ELMIRA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE DRAKE AOETYLENE GENERATOR COMPANY, OF CORNING, NEW YORK.

ACETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 637,165, dated November 14, 1899.

Application filed February 16, 1899- Serial No. 705 ,680. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ADDISON V. SANFORD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Elmira, in the county of Ohemung and State.

5 of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Acetylene Gas Genera-tors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that type of acety- IO lone-gas generators wherein the calcium carbid is supplied to the machine in suitable charges which are automatically delivered into Water in a generating-chamber at periods determined by the condition of the supply I 5 of gas in the gasometer or other distributing means.

My present invention relates more especially to the construction of the generator per se; and it consists in certain novel feazo tures of construction whereby the generator is improved not only as to its effectiveness in use, but as to convenience in manipulation, cleansing, 850.

My invention will be fully understood upon reference to the accompanying drawings, in

which- Figure 1 is an elevation showing a complete machine to which my present improvements are applied. Fig. 2 is a vertical axial section of the generator. Fig. 3 is a plan of the mechanism which carries and delivers the charges of carbid successively into the generator. Fig. 1 is a horizontal section on the line 4 4. of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a vertical axial section through the lower portion of the generator, taken in a plane at right angles to the plane of the section of Fig. 2. Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively an end and a sectional view of the automatically-closing carbid-trap. Fig.

8 is avertical sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of the safety-valve.

Referring to Fig. l, 1 represents the generator, which is connected bya pipe 2 with apurifier 3, which in turn discharges through a pipe 4: into the gasometer 5. The generator is surmounted by carbid carrying and delivering mechanism, to be hereinafter described,-which is mounted upon a vertical shaft 6, which has turning connection through The shaft 9 is rotated periodically through the medium of jerator and produce a new supply of gas.

carrying and delivering mechanism will dis- 6o charge one charge of the carbid into the geny having the work of rotating the shaft 9 cons'tantly imposed on the bell 13 pressure on the gas distributed by the bell is uniform, and fluctuation of the lights resulting from suddenly imposing such work upon the bell as it nears its lower limit is thus avoided. The bell is further provided with a cord 16, which connects with the lever 17 of the safetyvalve 18, located in an ofiset 19 of the pipe 4. Should the bell pass the upper limit of its movement, the lever 17 will be rocked upon its fulcrum and the valve 18 opened, so that surplus of gas may escape into a dischargepipe 20, commonly used in machines of this character.

The construction of the safety-valve 18 will best be understood upon reference to Fig. 8, where it will be seen that the valve 21 sets with the pressure of the gas in the pipe 19 and not against it. The valve is held normally closed by a spring 22, surrounding its stem 23; but said stem is depressed by the lever 17 through the medium of its forked end 24 engaging the neck on the upper end of the valve-rod.

The purifier 3 is preferably constructed, as shown in Fig. 1, with a cylindrical body 25, of any suitable sheet-metalconstruction,and the cast heads 26, which are held to the cylindrical body by means of the tie-rods 27. Such a construction saves much expense in the purifier and permits it to be readily taken apart for cleansing when occasion requires. 5 A cook 28 may be opened to determine the level of the water contained in the purifier,

and a cook 29 is provided for draining the same. 30 represents a cock which may be employed for allowing the escape of air or Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be seen that the shaft 6 is provided with a spider 31, the arms of which have slotted outer ends 32, which receive the T-heads 33 of the removable carbid-holders 34. The carbid-holders 34 are removable from the machine for charging and are provided with hermetic closures 35, which are held normally closed by means of the latches 36, whose depending arms 37 engage a trip 38, projecting into the path of the arms for releasing the latches as the holders are brought successively over the carbidtrap 39 by rotation of the spider. I do not herein claim, broadly, the removable carbidholders, or such holders provided with the automatically-opening closures, nor such a holder mounted upon a rotating spider, as these features form the subject-matter of an application filed by me on the 30th day of November, 1898, Serial No. ($97,862. I have, however, improved some of the details of construction of these parts and shall claim the same in my present application-that is to say,the slotted spider-arms, with the T-heads, for securing the holders in place are found to be more convenient than the means previouslydescribed for the same purpose. I also prefer to incline the tripping-arms 37 rearward with respect to the direction in which the holders travel, as by so doing I am enabled to locate the trip 38, as shown in Fig. 3, in rear of the dumping-point, and thus avoid obstructing the passage of the carbid or causing the carbid to scatter in small particles about the trap 39. I also prefer to support the carbid holding and delivering mechanism from the head 40 of the machine by means of the hangers 41, the lower ends of which enter the slotted ends of the arms 42 of the lower supporting-frame 43 and are there secured by nuts 44. The frame 43 is likewise provided with a step 45 for the shaft 47 and is surmounted by the horizontal diaphragm 46, which divides the upper end of the generator into the carbid-chamber A and the waste-chamber B and likewise provides a support for the trap 39 and trip 38. The trip 38 is mounted, in substantially the manner described in my previous application, upon a shaft 47, turning in bearings 47, so that the trip may be turned down out of the path of the releasing-arm 37 when it is desired to remove or replace the holders. The side wall 48 of the generator is preferably made to extend from bottom to top, and thus inclose the entire generator, a door 49 being provided in the upper end of sufficient dimensions to give free access to the carbid-holders for removing or replacing them, while keeping the carbidchamber normally closed to prevent the escape of odors from the carbid.

The construction of'the trap 39 will be understood upon reference to Figs. 6 and 7. It

is provided with a supporting-flange 50,which rests upon the diaphragm 46 and has the tapering end walls 51, providing a chute against which the spring-doors 52 are held by a spring 53 in order to keep the chute normally closed, but to permit it to open under the weight of the carbid, which is discharged into the trap.

The generating-chamber is represented at C and is formed by a hood 54, which is inserted in the generator so as to be readily removable therefrom. It rests upon a ledge 55, and its edge is protected against the escape of gas by means of the upwardly and inwardly inclined deflector 50. The base of the hood 54 covers the entire horizontal area of the generator; but to give space for the location of a chute by which the carbid is delivered to the generating-chamber the hood is inclined laterally and upwardly to the top of the generating-chamber, so as to present an inclined wall 57 for the introduction of the chute.

58 represents the chute, which has its lower end removably fitted to an opening in the'inclined wall 57 and there provided with a discharge-mouth 59, whichprojects into the generating-chamber. The discharge-mouth 59 is guarded against the escape of gas by means of the fender (30, which projects inwardly beneath and on both sides of the dischargemouth, so that the gas which is generated and which rises vertically must pass around the discharge-mouth in ascending. The chute 58 is supported for the most part by'its connection with the inclined wall 57; but it has its upper end fitted well between the diaphragm 46. It is, however, not attached to diaphragm, and the latter, along with the trap 39, is lifted out by the removal of thecarbid holding and delivering mechanism.

To provide for the ready removal of the parts when necessary, the head 40 is fitted upon, but not attached to, the cylindrical wall 48 and may be lifted oft" at any time without difficulty, after which the chute 58 is readily disengaged by a slight movement toward the center and may then be lifted out. After removing the chute 58 the hood 54 is likewise readily removable, and access is thus given to the bottom of the generator, which may be then thoroughly cleaned. For ordinary cleaning, however, I employa sliding gate 61, (see Fig. 1,) which is controlled by a lever 62.

63 represents an agitator which may be employed for stirring up the precipitate and drawing off the water, so as to remove it from the bottom of the generator.

64 represents a deflector of peculiar shape which serves the purpose of directing the carbid laterally from beneath the supply-chute. It is inclined from its ends toward the middle and likewise from the central line laterally. The object in so constructing the deflector 64 is to more effectively protectthe supply-opening and at the same time toadmit the agitator (33 beneath the deflector.

The chute 58 is preferably made with a collecting-chamber (55, having an outlet 66, in which will gather any gas which might escape back through the opening 59 and discharge said gas into the waste-chamber B,

from which it escapes through the dischargeoutlet 67 and is delivered through the wastepipe 20. (See Fig. 1.)

WVater is kept in the generator at about the level shown. Water may freely communicate between the generating-chamber O and the Waste-chamber B through openings 68 at the base of the hood 54. (See Figs. 2 and 4:.) These openings are protected by means of the guard 56, so that gas cannot escape therethrough.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In an acetylene-gas generator, the combination of the generating-chamber, a wastechamber and a carbid-chamber arranged in vertical series and each separated from the rest,and carbid carrying and delivering mechanism located in and inclosed by the carbidchamber; substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In an acetylene-machine, the combination of a generating-chamber, a waste-chamber, and a carbid-chamber communicating with the generating-chamber by a chute eX- tending through the waste-chamber.

3. In an acetylene-machine, the combination of the generating-chamber, the wastechamber above the generating-chamber, and the carbid-chamber above the waste-chamber communicating with the generating-chamber through aWater-sealed chute, said chute havin g a gas-trap communicating with the wastechamber.

4. In an acetylene-machine, the combination of the generating, waste, and carbid chambers arranged in vertical series, a chute communicating between the carbid and generating chambers, and a gas-trap in the chute communicating with the waste-chamber and water-sealed from the passage into the carbidchamber.

5. In combination with an acetylene-gas generator, a carbid-chamber, horizontally-rotating mechanism for carrying and deliverin g charges of carbid located'in said chamber, detachable carbid-holders forming part of such mechanism, and a door in the side wall of said carbid-chamber through which the holders may be removed and replaced as they' by means of T-heads which fit in the slots,

and a discharging-trip engaging the holders in a circumferential direction; substantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

8. In combination with an acetylene-gas macl1ine, dumping carbid-holders and an automatically-closing trap through which the holders dump; said trap being formed by the downwardly-projecting triangular walls 51 and the angularly-arranged doors automatically closing against the inclined edges of said walls; substantially as set forth.

9. In combination with an acetylene-gas generator, the head 40 resting upon the body of the generator, the diaphragm 46 carrying the mechanism for controlling the discharge of the carbid, and suspended from said head and removable with it; substantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

10. In an acetylene-gas generator, the combination of the body of the generator, the removable head 40,the frame 42 suspended from the head by means of the rods 41, the shaft 6 having bearings in the head and in said frame, the carbid carrying and delivering mechanism mounted on said shaft, the diaphragm 46 supported upon said frame, and the trap 39 mounted on the diaphragm and through which the carbid discharges; substantially as set forth.

11. In an acetylene-gas machine, the combination of a generating-chamber, a wastechamber located above and separated from the generating-chamber, and a carbid-chamber located above and separated from the waste-chamber; substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

12. In an acetylene-gas machine, the combination of the body of the generator, the tapered hood 54 located in and removable from the body of the generator and forming a generating-chamber therein, and a detachable chute for delivering carbid through the inclined wall of the hood; substantially as explained.

13. In combination with the body of the generator, the hood 54 located therein and providin g a generating-chamber, and the guard 56 for preventing the escape of gas passed through the lower edge of the hood; substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

14. In combination with the body of the generator, having the ledge 55 projecting inwardly from its inner wall, the hood 54thaving its lower edge resting upon the ledge 55, and the guard 56; substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

15. In an acetylene-gas generator, the combination of the removable hood 54 located therein and providing a generating-chamber, and the chute 58 projecting through a side wall of the hood and delivering carbid thereand from its middle line laterally; substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

18. In an acetylene-gas generator, the combination of the waste-chamber B, the hood 54 providing the generating-chamber O and having openings 68 at its base through which water may pass from one chamber to the other, and the guard 56 projecting upwardly Within the base of the hood; substantially as set forth.

ADDISON V. SANFORD.

l/Vitnesses:

O. M. HYDE, R. S. HEERMANS. 

